Germany's far-right AfD finally poised for power in Saxony-Anhalt
With polling support above 40%, the Alternative for Germany party is preparing to form its first state government, led by candidate Ulrich Siegmund, who promises radical policy shifts.
Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is on the verge of taking power in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt after September's regional elections. Opinion polls consistently show the party at 40% or more, and despite scandals and external pressures, its appeal remains undimmed. If smaller parties like the Greens or Free Democrats fail to cross the 5% threshold, the AfD could secure an outright majority. Even if that doesn't happen, the only alternative to keep the AfD out of government would be a cumbersome coalition of all other parties, which would likely collapse quickly.
Ulrich Siegmund and the party platform
The AfD's lead candidate and likely first state premier is Ulrich Siegmund, 35, a former salesman and ex-CDU member who joined the AfD a decade ago. He has become a rising star, with a popular TikTok account winning over younger voters. Siegmund has promised older residents to bring back their "good, old, secure Germany." The party's 150-page program calls for deporting refugees or moving them into group homes, defunding public broadcasters deemed hostile, banning "woke" symbols such as gay pride flags in schools, and promoting "patriotic" culture. It also slams the Bauhaus art movement, which has strong roots in Saxony-Anhalt. To boost birth rates, the party promises tax breaks and free childcare for families consisting of "a father, a mother and as many children as possible."
Consequences for Germany and Europe
An AfD-led state government would have profound effects. It would change life in Saxony-Anhalt, influence the Bundesrat (upper house), and complicate information-sharing among states. Ripples would be felt in the Bundestag and Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government. More broadly, it would alter German society and embolden far-right populist movements across Europe, while pleasing the Trump administration, which has backed the AfD. Yet German politicians and the public seem unprepared for the scale of the shock.
Siegmund insists he is "committed to rule of law," but his rhetoric suggests otherwise. On foreign policy, which is the federal government's domain, he calls for ending sanctions on Russia, reintroducing Russian language classes, and classifying Ukrainians as illegal migrants rather than war refugees. The party's regional chapter has been labeled "right-wing extremist" by Germany's domestic intelligence agency, though a court temporarily halted use of that term in February.
